While fruits and vegetables are known as sources of healthy antioxidants and phenolic compounds, research increasingly shows that whole grains contain them too. In this review, researchers analyzed the total phenolic contents, phenolic acid profile and antioxidant activity of several whole grains, including wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, rye, oat and millet. The review shows that whole grains contain a number of phytochemicals (including antioxidants) and significantly exhibit antioxidant activity. Researchers conclude that the consumption of whole grains is considered to have significant health benefits including prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer because of the contribution of phenolic compounds. 
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2014 July 30. [epub ahead of print] (Van Hung P et al.)

What you eat today may potentially affect your health years later. As part of a prospective study in Germany, researchers analyzed the relationship between the quality of carbohydrates eaten in adolescence and inflammatory markers in young adulthood. The analysis was based on 205 participants (113 girls and 92 boys) with at least two 3-day weighed dietary records during puberty, and blood samples in younger adulthood (18-36 y). Researchers found that eating fewer whole grains and more high Glycemic Index carbohydrates during puberty is predictive of higher interleukin 6 concentrations (a marker of inflammation) in adulthood. 
The Journal of Nutrition. 2014 July 30. [epub ahead of print] (Goletzke et al.)

Just because you don’t live in the Mediterranean, doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the Mediterranean diet. An Australian study followed 527 healthy older adults (average age=69 years) in 3 different dietary pattern groups (Australian-style Mediterranean, Prudent/healthy, and Western) over a 3-year period. Researchers found that in participants with genetic predisposition to Alzheimers disease (APoE4 allele carriers), high adherence to the Australian-style Mediterranean diet (high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and fish) was associated with better executive function, the set of mental processes used in planning, strategizing, remembering details, and managing time and space.
Molecular Psychiatry. 2014 July 29. [Epub ahead of print] (Gardener SL et al.) 

Following a high protein diet can be a successful weight loss strategy, but meat-based high protein diets may increase the risk of developing heart disease and colon cancer, due to their high saturated fat content. A recent British study tested to see if following a vegetarian-based high protein diet, which is high in heart healthy fats and low in saturated fats, would have the same weight loss benefits as a meat-based high protein diet. They found that not only were the two diets equally effective at weight loss, but also that the vegetarian-based high protein diet improved cholesterol more than the meat-based high protein diet. The authors conclude that vegetarian proteins are a great alternative to meat-based protein diets when it comes to weight loss.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2014 June; 100: 548-558. (Neacsu M et al.)

Inflammation has been linked to many diseases, so understanding how to reduce inflammation is important. In a small study in Scotland, 22 people with type 2 diabetes participated in a randomized cross-over study, which consisted of two 8-week interventions with either an oat-enriched diet (their normal diet with oats replacing some of the carbohydrates; average intake of oats was 131g/day, or the equivalent of more than 1 ½ cups uncooked rolled oats) or a diet based on the standard dietary advice from Diabetes UK (average intake of oats was only 5g/day). Researchers then assessed the microparticle concentrations (a marker of inflammation) of patients after each diet and found that the oat-enriched diet significantly improved these risk factors for inflammation.  
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 2014 June;58(6):1322-32. (Zhang X et al.) 

A recent review of 37 studies found that people who follow a Mediterranean diet have fewer incidences of bone health issues, like osteoporosis. The reason for this relationship seems to lie in the phytochemicals, antioxidants, and anti−inflammatory properties of the foods eaten in the Mediterranean diet, particularly olive oil. Few human studies have been conducted to help show the mechanism by which olive oil helps protect bones. However, various animal studies indicate that the compounds found in olive oil not only help prevent bone loss, but also help improve bone formation. Though olive oil cannot be solely responsible for the reduced incidences of osteoporosis in places that follow a Mediterranean diet, the growing body of research suggests that olive oil is a key component of maintaining good bone health.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2014 June;65(7):834−840. (Garcia−Martinez O et al.)

In 2009, the foods subsidized under the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program changed to include fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, among other changes. Researchers in New Orleans visited small stores in that city when the change was introduced, and then a year later. They found that just 3.7% of stores participating in the WIC program carried whole wheat bread or brown rice in 2009, while 70.4% offered whole wheat bread a year later and 92.6% offered brown rice. Most of this change can be attributed to the impact of the WIC program, as only 1.5% of non-WIC participating small stores carried whole wheat bread in 2010, and only 12.1% carried brown rice. These changes in availability can make healthier choices available not just to people in the WIC program, but to everyone in that neighborhood.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2014 May-Jun;46(3 Suppl);S38-44. (Rose et al.)

At the University of Arkansas, researchers conducted a small randomized crossover trial with 10 healthy men, to compare the impact on blood sugar of eating two different whole grain muffins: a whole sorghum muffin and a whole wheat muffin, each with 50g of total starch. Glucose response averaged 35% lower after the sorghum muffin, leading researchers to suggest that whole grain sorghum could be a good ingredient choice for managing glucose and insulin levels.
Food and Function. 2014 May;5(5):894-9. (Poquette et al.)

At the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in India, researchers carried out a randomized crossover trial in which they studied the effects of three diets on fifteen overweight Asian Indians. Test meals were identical for the three groups except for the type of rice (brown or white) and the addition of legumes. Fasting serum insulin was measured at the beginning and end of each 5-day test period, during which the subjects underwent continuous glucose monitoring. The scientists found that IAUC (incremental area under the curve, a measure of blood sugar management) was 19.8% lower with brown rice and 22.9% lower with brown rice and legumes, as compared to white rice. Fasting insulin was also markedly lower in the two brown rice phases of the study.
Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. 2014 May; 16(5);317-25. (Mohan et al.)